Led Zeppelin - Coda

It's been a long time since my last Sunday Spins.  I got a whole lotta love for that one, which left me a little dazed and confused.  I wasn't sure where to go next. I didn't want to let my few readers down. So I put it off for a while until eventually, I was just out of the habit of writing. But I know I've got one thing I got to do. Ramble on. And now's the time, the time is now.

How was that for cramming a bunch of Led Zeppelin references into one paragraph?  I know it's cheesy, but I really enjoyed doing it. The sentiment is still true.  I was concerned about how to follow up the last blog, which was probably the most well-received (by the few people who read it) piece of writing I've ever written.  That is what caused me to put off writing the next one, at first.  Then life happened, I started sleeping in on Sundays, the recording of the podcast ground to a halt (we've started up again, and will hopefully get on a regular schedule and start releasing shows soon), and this just got put on the back burner.

A friend of mine suggested all those months ago that my next Sunday Spins be a Led Zeppelin album.  I told him that I loved the idea, but I didn't want to do something big like II, IV, or Houses of the Holy... I wanted to do an album that gets very little love (at least from what I've seen).  I wanted to write about Coda.

Here's just a little bit of background for those unfamiliar.  This is the band's final studio album (hence the name).  It's made up of unused material from previous recording sessions spanning their career.  It was released 2 years after the death of John Bonham, in part to fulfill contractual obligations to Atlantic records.  Jimmy Page has also stated that it was in response to the popularity of bootleg material being shared among fans.  I'm not going to go into detail as to which songs were recorded when and all that stuff, but if you really want to know a quick something search will give you all the information you desire.

So, without further ado... let's drop the needle on Led Zeppelin's swan song (had to get another one in there).  I present to you, Coda.

 I bought my copy of this record at a local shop that's no longer in business, and frankly, I'm not shocked or upset by that.  I was really excited when they opened, but I only went in there twice and was disappointed both times.  Anyway, it's interesting to me that at the beginning of the record it's horribly noisy and scratching, but as soon as the music starts with the first snare fill of "We're Gonna Groove" it sounds really clean.  It's almost like they cleaned all but the outermost edge of the disc.  The song itself is a funky bluesy tune that's signature early-Zep.  Frenetic drumming, bouncing walking bass lines, tons of guitar, and Robert Plant's signature howl about a woman.

Next up is something a little more interesting.  "Poor Tom" starts out with drums as well.  My brother refers to this as a Bonzo album.  The drums are definitely front and center on many of the tracks.  I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that he passed away.  Perhaps when Jimmy Page was producing the album he subconsciously gravitated toward drum-heavy mixes.  Or perhaps it's just that Bonzo was so great that my ears subconsciously gravitate toward his playing.  But I digress.  After the drum intro, the vocals come in first, much more mellow, followed by acoustic guitars, subdued bass, and a generally chill vibe.  I really like this song.  It feels like a group just sitting around on a lazy afternoon jamming.  There's some cool harmonica work on it too.

"Poor Tom" may feel like a group jamming, but the next track - Willie Dixon's "I Can't Quit You Baby" - really is a group jamming.  I know I said I wouldn't bore you with these details, but this was recorded during soundcheck at Royal Albert Hall in 1970.  Again, it's Zep doing the blues thing that made them famous (and infamous).  At least Willie is credited in the liner notes this time. Anyway, this one really makes me miss playing in a band.  There's something really genuine about a group of people who groove together doing just that.  Although I prefer the less bluesy original tunes in their catalog, I could listen to Led Zeppelin jam out old blues tunes like this all day and be totally happy.

Side one concludes with "Walter's Walk".  It's a good song, with some interesting vocal doubling/harmonizing, but overall it feels more like an unused track than anything else on the album to me.  It's a pretty straightforward rocker that, in my opinion, doesn't really showcase the full spectrum of the band's talents.

Excuse me while I flip the record and get some more coffee... be back in a minute...

[muzak version of "Stairway to Heaven" plays while you wait]

My "5 cup" coffee maker only fills my mug twice.  weird.

The record is flipped, and it's time to fill my ear holes with "Ozone Baby".   This is another pretty straightforward song that definitely sounds like it's later in their career.  The drumming is a little more subdued on this one, as is the guitar, but John Paul Jones is laying down some really tasty bass with fatty tone for days.  That makes my day.  JPJ is one of my all-time favorites, so anytime he's laying it down I'm here for it.

"Darlene" is, on its surface, more of Zeppelin being Zeppelin... bluesy, shuffling, and about a woman.  But once again, there are some really great things going on in the rhythm section.  One of the things that I've always found interesting about Zep is that they're known as a guitar band, but for me, it's always been about JPJ and Bonzo.  Each of them is a powerhouse on their own, but when you put them together magic happens.

Speaking of the powerhouse that is John Bonham, how about a drum solo?  The highlight of the album for me is "Bonzo's Montreux".  This four-minute and fifteen-second song in which Bonham plays "Drum Orchestra" and Page added "electronic treatments" is a true testament to just how great a player Bonzo was.  I wish I had the words to describe how this makes me feel.  I want to dance, I want to bang my hands on tables, I want to sing along with the drums.  I want you to go listen to this tune right now.  Seriously... leave my site and go listen to it.  I don't even care if you come back to finish reading this.  It's that important to me.

"Wearing and Tearing" is the final track of the final studio album by what many people consider to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time.  Although recorded later in their career this song could have fit in on just about any of their previous albums.  It's fast, gritty, and energetic.  I don't know if they recorded this live in the studio or if they multitracked, but it has the feel of a band pushing each other to the limits.  There's very little in the way of studio trickery or anything like that.  It's just pure, unadulterated Rock n Roll.

And with that, the record is over.  I'm left both satisfied and wanting more.  Luckily I have shelves full of albums for my listening pleasure.  I can't wait to share them all with you.  Until next time... do cool shit.  Listen to more records.

Cheers!
-squirrel